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Abstract
Ongoing struggle for racial equality in the United States stems
from decades of discriminatory voting policies implemented at the
state level. In many instances, African Americans, regardless of
gender or wealth, were prohibited from participating in the
democratic process in an attempt to deny them due process and their
guaranteed citizenship rights under the 14th and 15th amendments to
the Constitution. Despite efforts on the national level to promote
equality amongst the races, the state governments in the South
resisted unrestricted voting by African Americans in an effort to
maintain the traditional antebellum lifestyle and de facto
segregation.
Invitation/Fundamental Understandings:
Essential
Questions:
Knowledge and skills: Fundamental
Understanding:
At the heart of the struggle for racial
equality was the implementation of discriminatory voting practices
at the state level, specifically in the South. The culmination of
the 20th century Civil Rights Movement was the successful passage of
the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Essential
Questions:
1. How did racial prejudice amongst the white
majority lead to the
enactment of unfair and discriminatory
governmental policies in the
deep South?
2. How did the three
branches of government work collectively to promote
racial
equality at the state level?
3. Why did the southern states
resist lifting unfair and unconstituional voting practices aimed
predominately at African American citizens during the 1960's?
4.
If the national government had not promoted fair and equal voting
rights for all citizens during the 1960's, what effect might this
have on our society today, both socially and politicially?
What students should know:
1. Awareness of
racial diversity in relation to our national identity.
2.
Recognition of a variety of Civil Rights leaders' viewpoints
(1960-1965).
3. Significance of landmark voting rights
legislation in the 1960's.
4. Reasons the South did not support
voting rights legislation in the 1960's.
What students should
be able to do:
1. Evaluate the effectiveness and strategies
of various Civil Rights leaders.
2. Understand the relevance
of 20th century voting rights legislation on 21st century America.
3. Explain the South's resistance to the passage of
voting rights legislation.
4. Identify the importance of racial
diversity in shaping our national identity.
Standards
National Standards Standard 3B
The
student understands the Reconstruction programs to transform social
relations in the South.
STANDARD 4
The struggle for
racial and gender equality and for the extension of civil liberties.
State Standards Florida State Standards:
SS.A.5.4 The student undestands U.S. History from 1880 to the
present. SS.B.2.4 The student understands the interactions of people
and the environment. SS.C.1.4 The student understands the
structures, functions and purposes of government and how the
principles and values of American democracy are reflected in
American constitutional government. SS.C.2.4 The student understands
the role of citizenship in American democracy.
Workforce Competencies: INFORMATION
MANAGERS (3.1) EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS (3.2) CREATIVE AND CRITICAL
THINKERS (3.4) ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE WORKERS (3.5) RESOURCE
MANAGERS (3.6) SYSTEMS MANAGERS (3.7) COOPERATIVE WORKERS (3.8)
EFFECTIVE LEADERS (3.9) CULTURALLY SENSITIVE LEADERS (3.10)
Unit of Practice
Relevance:
Civil rights are the social and political privileges guaranteed
to all citizens, regardless of race, gender, or religion. Political
practices in the United States once denied civil rights and unrestricted voting to African Americans, thus creating a feeling of
inferiority and frustration amongst this community. The
implementation of universal and constitutional voting practices
significantly impacted the ability of African Americans to voice
political concerns, thus changing the lives of the students and of
their families.
Context
Prior to the unit, students should have a basic understanding of
separation of powers, landmark civil rights Supreme Court cases,
implementation of Jim Crow laws, the Civil War amendments, the
reserved powers of state governments, the history of racial
inequality (post-Civil War), and the effectiveness of propaganda
techniques. In addition, the student should have previous online
research skills and Desktop publishing experience.
Assessment
Formative assessment:
1. Class discussion to identify
viewpoints from primary and secondary reading
sources.
2.
Vocabulary and content review through daily quizzes.
3.
Student-created visual timeline to illustrate the chronology of the
struggle for constitutional and unrestricted voting practices.
4. Personal reaction (written/oral) to video/CD-Rom clips.
5.
Completion of supplemental handouts.
Summative
assessment:
1. Content related short answer test.
2.
Project (group): Desktop published propaganda pamphlet either
in
favor of or in opposition to the extension of suffrage for
African
Americans. (Pamphlet should include news articles,
visuals/photos,
editorial commentary, and advertisements from
corporate
sponsorships)
A rubric will be used to assess
understanding (The rubric is included in the lesson).
Components:
Lesson 1: "Voices from the Movement" In this introductory
activity, students will be responsible for researching and reading
three primary or literary source quotations about the impact of
voter discrimination on the African American population in the
1960's. These quotations should give an understanding of how these
policies affected minorities and challenged their confidence in
government. In addition these quotes should not only include the
source's reaction, but a personal suggestion on how to remedy these
unconstitutional voting practices. Students will share their
findings with the class and discuss the emotions evident in the
readings.
Lesson 2: "The origins of racial inequality" In the
classroom setting, the teacher and the students will discuss the one
hundred year time period leading up to the Voting Rights Act of
1965. (It is critical that each student complete an assigned reading
prior to this discussion). Utilizing internet research skills and
graphic software, the students will develop a visual timeline that
includes the significant people, places and events that impacted the
outcome of the 20th century Civil Rights Movement.
Lesson 3: "To
Vote Or Not To Vote" Using the findings from lessons one and two,
the students, in groups will design a pamphlet that either promotes
or discourages lifting the voting barriers that prevented African
Americans from participating freely during the 1960's. In this
pamphlet, students should include news stories, editorial
commentary, and advertisements--all utilizing a variety of
propaganda techniques in an effort to convince readers to adopt the
paper's position on the issue.
Additional Resources
Main
URL:
Related Resources
Related Lessons
Copyright © 1997-2003
Career Connection to Teaching with Technology
USDOE Technology Innovation Challenge Grant
Marshall Ransom, Project Manager
All rights reserved.
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